title: Visualization of immune cell infiltration in experimental viral myocarditis by (19)F MRI in vivo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper introduces a new approach permitting for the first time a specific, non-invasive diagnosis of myocarditis by visualizing the infiltration of immune cells into the myocardium.
  
  
  METHODS
  The feasibility of this approach is shown in a murine model of viral myocarditis. Our study uses biochemically inert perfluorocarbons (PFCs) known to be taken up by circulating monocytes/macrophages after intravenous injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In vivo (19)F MRI at 9.4 T demonstrated that PFC-loaded immune cells infiltrate into inflamed myocardial areas. Because of the lack of any fluorine background in the body, detected (19)F signals of PFCs are highly specific as confirmed ex vivo by flow cytometry and histology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since PFCs are a family of compounds previously used clinically as blood substitutes, the technique described in our paper holds the potential as a new imaging modality for the diagnosis of myocarditis in man.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Cardiology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacoby
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Borg
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heusch
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sauter
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bönner
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kandolf
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klingel
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schrader
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Flögel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D005461:Fluorine / Q000737:chemistry; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000737:chemistry; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000821:virology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005466:Fluorocarbons; D005461:Fluorine